Tramway for elevated electric railways



(No Model.) l I 2 sheetsshee't 1.

B. F. HAMILTON.

TRAMWAY FOB. ELEVATED ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS WITH MEANS FOR INSULATING THE RAIL.

No. 365,341. Patented June 21, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 sheetssheet 2.

, I BPF. HAMILTON. TRAMWAY r03 ELEVATED ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS WITH MEANS FOR INSULATING THE RAIL.

' Pateni No. 365,341. BIB-d June 21, 1887,.

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M UNITED STATES PATENT BENJAMIN F. HAMILTON, OF BOSTN, MASSACHUSETTS.

T RAMWAY FOR ELEVATED ELECTRIC RAILWAYS, WITH MEANS FOR INSULATING THE RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,341, date d June 21', 1957.1

Application filed March 7, 1887. Serial No. 230,010. (No model.) I

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F.HAMIL'ION, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachuset-ts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tramways for Elevated Electric Railways, with Means for Insulating the Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to elevated tramways.

The object is to construct a tramway for elevated railways which will afford a firm and safe support while occupying but comparatively small space, and in which also the rails may be effectively insulated.

The invention, though of more general applicability, is particularly designed for'an electric railway in which a car is suspended from a single elevated track by a truck running upon said track, a hanger connecting the truck with the car, and there being a guide-rail, with which a portion of the hanger engages to steady the car; and it consists in a tramway supported by a series of single columns, having its frame for the rails supported upon the capitals of the columns; furthermore, in means by which the track is effectively insulated, preferably in a wooden stringer along which the track is laid; finally, in various novel details of construction, wherein the objectsare attained.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Fig ure 1 is a view in vertical cross-section of an elevated tramway embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a tramway embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan View thereof, showing the stays; and Fig. 4 is a view in transverse section of a portion of a tramway, showing in detail the means for bracing the frame between the posts.

In the drawings, A represents a post or colnrnn,oneofaseries. Thiscolumnisembedded and braced in any suitable manner to secure firmness and solidity. At the top of the colsupport uprights D, suitably constructed, and

these are held and braced against lateral motion by tie-beams or braces E, which eQtend across above the base-plates O. l

From the outer ends of the struts b extend upward and inward braces f, which are in pairs, and are secured at their upper ends to the center of the tie-beam E, upon each side thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, forming trusses F, to give greater strength to the tiebeam, and thus to the structure, and tomake its sides firm against lateral motion.

1 Secured to the outer ends of the base-plates,

and connecting the lower e'ndsof the uprights D, are girders d, constructed preferably of T- iron or of angle-irons, with their hollow sides outward, carrying upon their heads stringers d, of wood or other non-conducting material,

and having secured to their under surfaces the lower or guide tracks, d, one on either side,

to be engaged by a portion" of the hanger of the car, to prevent swaying and to give the car a steady motion. i

Along the top of the frame-worlqand connecting the outer ends of the tie-beams E, are also secured girders d, corresponding in form and material, to the lower girders, and upon these again are laid stringers d, corresponding in construction and purpose to the lower stringers, and upon them are laid the tracks (i His obvious that provision will be made at the columns for expansion and contraction of the girders, as by an expansion-joint or other device.

Instead ofby the stringers d, the tracks may be insulated by any other suitable means, so that there will be no electric connection between the iron frame work of the tramway and the rails.-

To afford further means of support, and to prevent any possibility of rupture or sagging of the frame between the posts or columns, side trusses, d, are provided, which are placed between the lower and upper girders. The upper girders are held together laterally and stayed by rods or stays dywhich pass through the sides of the girders and are secured by nuts. These rods extend across the frame obliquely, their centers being inclosed at the point of crossing by a block, (1, to keep the rods intact and prevent buckling from strain or other cause. Instead of the rods, angleirons may be employed. At intervals between the posts are tie-beams c, which occupy positions respectively relative to the base-plates and the tie-beams at the posts, and, in connection with those, correspond to the ties or sleep ers of an ordinary railway. Attached to these tie-beams between the supporting-eolumns are braces (1 forming upright and depending trusses d for the purpose of Supporting and bracing the upper and lower girders. These trusses are placed in pairs, those supporting and bracing the lower girders being of the same kind as the trusses F at the heads of the columns, those supporting and bracing the upper girders being inverted.

It is obvious that a tramway of this con struction will take up but a small amount of space, which is of great moment in principal thoroughfares; that it will be a structure of great strength, enabling it to sustain great weight; that it can be readily and economically built, and that, owing to the feature and manner of insulation, it will be efiieient in operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A tramway for elevated railroads resting upon single posts or columns, the capitals of which form struts su )porting base-plates, and braces from the struts or sides to tie-beams to prevent lateral motion, substantially as shown and described.

2. A tramway for elevated railroads resting upon single posts or columns, and uprights by which the rails are supported, the rails being insulated, substantially as specified.

3. A tramway for elevated railroads resting upon single posts or columns, the capitals of which form struts, uprights by means of which the rails are supported, and stringers along which the track is laid, constructed of wood or other non-conducting material for the purpose of insulation, substantially as specified.

4. In a tramway for elevated railroads, the combination of the supporting post or column, the capital of which forms struts for the support of the frame-work upon which the rails rest, the base-plate resting upon the ends of the struts, girders connecting the ends of the base-plates, uprights extending from the girders, and tie-beams resting upon the ends of the uprights, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tramway for elevated railroads, the combination of the supporting-posts, the struts extending therefrom, the base-plates resting upon the struts, girders connecting the ends of the base-plates, the lateral rods or braces connecting the girders, the tie -beams supported by uprights extending from the girders, the braces connecting the struts and tiebeams, and the oblique braces between the upper and lower girders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A tramway for elevated railroads, the sides upon which the tracks are laid being supported by upright and by depending trusses, substantially as described.

7. A tramway for elevated railroads, the sides upon which the tracks are laid being braced by upright and depending trusses, all for the purpose of supporting and bracing the tramway, substantially as shown.

8. A tramway for elevated railroads, being laterally supported and braced by means of upright and depending trusses, consisting of the braces, with upper and lower tie-beams placed respectively below and above the braces, each brace being connected at its inner ends with the opposite tie-beam, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. HAMILTON.

\Vitnesses:

R. G. DRYENFORTH, \V. W. MORTIMER. 

